Car-coupling



(No Model.)

A BOPP CAR ooUPLING-- No. 572,288. Patented Deo. 1, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

.AMOS-BOPP, OF HAGERSTOVN, MARYLAND.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 572,288, dated December 1, 1896. lipplication filed February 19, 1896. Serial No. 579,851. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, AMOs BOPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hagerstown, in

the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Car-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Car-couplers of the J anney type as generallyconstructed are liable to vertical displacement and become uncoupled when the train is passing over a rough road-bed, and for other reasons. Should a coupler break and fall on the track, it frequently causes deraihnent of one or more of the cars. A further objection to this type of coupler has arisen from the fact that cars provided with drawheads of different heights cannot be satisfactorily coupled. More or less satisfactory improvements aiming to overcome these diiiiculties have heretofore been brought forth.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved and more satisfactory coupler which will better overcome the troubles heretofore generally incident to the J anney coupler by providing means whereby vertical play of the couplers is provided for without allowing uncoupling from that cause.

Having these objects in view, my invention consists in certain improvements and combinations more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of draw-heads or coup- 1ers provided with my improvements and shown uncoupled and in position for engagement; Fig. 2, a partially sectional side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional side elevation showing two draw-heads in full lines as coupled at the same height and in dotted lines to represent their vertical movement, and Fig. 4 a detail view of my improved knuckle.

Each of the two couplers generally used is provided with my improvements, and hence a description of one will suffice.

A represents the draw-head, which is of the usual construction with the single exception that its lower jaw projects out considerably farther than the upper jaw, thereby providing a broad and strong ledge l, Whose office will appear later.

B represents lny improved knuckle, which is pivoted at 2 and provided with a lockingarm 3, adapted to cooperate with a couplingpin 4, as usual. The lower portion 6 of the knuckle is ofthe usual construction, but the upper portion 5 is broadened to make a shoulder 7, which overlaps the ledge l in such a manner that the ledge will catch and support the draw-head which pulls out.

Dotted lines in Fig. 3 clearly represent the relative action of a pair of coupled drawheads. It is apparent that with myconstruction the draw-heads can move freely in a vertical direction at all times, and this movement is limited, so as to prevent uncoupling by the engagement of each shoulder 7 with the ledge l on the other coupler. Should one draw-head break, it would be supported by the other draw-head and prevented from dropping on the track. It is also obvious that draw-heads of different heights can be coupled by this means.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-head member having an upper concav- Y ity provided with a vertical face to allow a free vertical movement in relation to the 0pposite draw-head and being provided with a lower ledge projecting beyond the upper concavity, of a knuckle having a vertical diameter equal to that of the head and provided with a broadened convex, upper portion having a vertical face projecting beyond the lower portion of the knuckle to form a shoulder arranged and adapted to enter the concavity and to engage the lower ledge, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination witha draw-head member provided with a concaved recess having a vertical face, of a lower opposing member provided with a ledge having a vertical face and projecting beyond the upper recessed portion thereof, a knuckle having its top iiush with the top of the draw-head and being provided with a broadened portion 5,

IOO

having a shoulder 7 ,v a rounded Vertical face In witness whereof I affix my signature in on the shoulder, theA broadenedrporton being presence; of two witnesses. made to ft closely within the coneave'd reoess of the opposing draw-head, whereby the two AMGS BOPP' 5 draw-heads have 2L free Vertical up-and-down Vtnesses:

movement n relation to each other, substan- SOLON C. KEMON, ally as described. RHESA G. DUBOIS. 

